MEN’S BASKETBALL DROPS 68-67 HEARTBREAKER TO ADELPHI IN OVERTIME

Box Score vs. Adelphi - February 14, 2009

ROCKVILLE CENTRE, N.Y. (Feb. 14, 2009) – Knotted at 67-67 with more than a minute remaining in overtime, junior guard Casey Cosgrove (Andover, Mass.) had the eventual game-winning point via a free throw for Adelphi University as the Panthers snuck by the Molloy College men’s basketball team, 68-67, at Quealy Gymnasium on Saturday in Rockville Centre, N.Y. The Lions fell to 7-16 overall and 6-8 in the East Coast Conference with the defeat.

Molloy had a pair of chances to win the game, but were unsuccessful on its attempts. Freshman forward Matt Wafula (Harlem, N.Y.) hit the side of the rim on his jumper from the post. Junior guard Carl Palmer (Brooklyn, N.Y.) made a last second three attempt from the top of the key but it banked off the iron. He was responsible though for tying the game up for the third time with a three-ball from just inside the hash mark at 1:40.

Trailing 45-35 with just under 13 minutes left in the second half, the Lions drew up an 8-3 spurt over a span of 3:16 to cut the Panther (16-7, 10-4 ECC) lead to three with 9:33 remaining. Junior forward Ian Thomas-Minor (Brooklyn, N.Y.) started the run with a lay-up. Junior forward Girard Fitts (Uniondale, N.Y.) capped it off with the final five points off a lay-up and a three.

Following a lay-up by AU junior center Steffon Farley (Lanham, Md.) at the 9:03 juncture, which pushed its lead to five (50-45), MC proceeded to out-score the opposition by a 12-7 count to knot the contest at 57-57 with 2:09 left in regulation. In that period, Palmer drained a pair of three-point goals. Fitts netted all four of his attempts from the free-throw line and junior guard Michael Johnson (Jamaica, N.Y.) hit a jumper from the elbow.

After that, the Lions managed to score five of the next six points in a 59-second stint to go up 62-58 with 1:10 to go. Palmer and Thomas-Minor each put up lay-ups. However, Molloy was unable to hold the advantage as Cosgrove and sophomore guard Richard Byrd (Central Islip, N.Y.) netted two free throws apiece for the Panthers to send the match into the extra session with the score deadlocked at 62-all.

Down 4-2 with 17-plus minutes remaining in the opening half, Adelphi sported a 12-0 streak during a time of 3:21 to grab hold of a 14-4 lead with 14:02 left. Byrd and senior guard Alvin Vivican III (Brentwood, N.Y.) each knocked down a trifecta in the burst. Senior forward Mike McDuffie (Elmsford, N.Y.) and senior guard Arjan Perovic (New York, N.Y.) recorded lay-ups.

One minute later, Molloy sophomore forward Brian Hutchinson (Elmont, N.Y.) converted on both of his attempts from the foul line to cut the deficit to eight (14-6). But, the Panthers responded with a 10-0 run over a four-minute stretch to take an 18-point advantage with 8:12 to go. Perovic drilled a three-ball, while senior forward Sky Khaleel (Queens, N.Y.) completed a three-point play.

Later on, with over a minute to play, the Lions tallied the last four points in the stanza to head into the break down by a 35-22 count. Hutchinson netted another one of his five made free throws. Fitts added a make from downtown, which originated off of a shot from the wing.

Molloy shot 39.6 percent (19-for-48) from the floor, 46.2 percent (6-for-13) from beyond the arc and 69.7 percent (23-for-33) from the charity stripe. Fitts finished with a game-high 21 points (5-9 FG, 9-10 FT). He also dished off three assists and took away three steals. Palmer notched 15 points, three rebounds, two assists and one block. Johnson raked in 11 points, five rebounds, two steals and one assist.

Thomas-Minor picked up nine points, seven rebounds, one assist and one steal. Hutchinson added six rebounds and five points. Freshman guard T.J. Gessner (Mineola, N.Y.) totaled three points, and two rebounds. Wafula earned two points and two rebounds. Freshman center/forward Dariel Concha (Valley Stream, N.Y.) chipped in with two points and one rebound.

Adelphi was 21-of-53 (39.6 percent) from the field, 7-of-19 (36.8 percent) from long distance and 19-of-29 (65.5 percent) from the line. Byrd collected 15 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals. Khaleel had 12 points, three rebounds, three steals and two blocks. Cosgrove was 2-for-7 from three-point land for nine points. He also grabbed three rebounds. Vivican recorded eight points and three assists.

Perovic amassed seven points, three steals and two rebounds. Akinyooye gathered six rebounds, five points and two steals. Farley and freshman guard Robert Johnson (New Rochelle, N.Y.) picked up five points apiece. McDuffie contributed four rebounds and two points.

Head Coach Charlie Marquardt and the Lions return to action this Wednesday when they hit the road for two straight, which begins in Oakdale, N.Y. at Dowling College. Tip-off is slated for 7 p.m.